Assassination
by lolkittie64
Summary: I have blood on my claws, but I feel no shame. I have avenged the death of many. I am Fawnfur, and this is my story.


**A/N: Challenge for MuffinClan.**

Assassination

I am going to tell you a story. It's a story of heartbreak, a story of grief. A story of madness and lunacy. And, above all, a story of murder. What you are about to hear could make your throat clench up with grief, and maybe even make tears spill. But listen carefully, for this is my story. A story you won't forget for a while.

* * *

I was the runt of the litter. I had three siblings: One tom, and two she-cats. They were named Larkkit, Featherkit and Brackenkit. They were all strong, healthy kits, and our mother Dawncloud adored us. She was an especially doting mother, forever fussing over us. Our father Smoketail, however, was not as loving. He didn't act like a father, never coming to see us. Dawncloud always kept a special eye on me, for in the winter my nose turned pale and I shivered more than the rest, as of my ever kit-soft pelt. I was underdeveloped. By the time I was was three moons old, I still looked like a newborn kit. Dawncloud grew frantic about me, forever fetching the medicine cat, though there was nothing to worry about. I still played with my litter mates with a ball of moss, and I didn't need extra care.

One night, when I was about four moons old, me and Brackenkit decided to see more of the forest. We were going to bring back some prey to the fresh-kill pile. Hazelpaw had already taught us the hunter's crouch. Featherkit and Larkkit were curled up beside our mother, sleeping soundly. The moonhigh patrol had just left. I followed my brother through the dirt tunnel, shrivelling my pink nose at the strong scent.  
"Eww! It smells icky in here!" I complained. Brackenkit shushed me, and we came out the other side. I rolled in the leaves, trying to get the horrible scent off my pelt. Brackenkit did the same, and headed for the undergrowth.  
"Now, Fawnkit, up here we'll be able to catch some prey. Whatever you do, don't make a sound," Brackenkit whispered to me. I nodded my head determinedly. We creeped along the forest floor, going the opposite way of the patrol. Brackenkit picked up a scent of mouse, and scampered off, leaving me by myself.

I decided to go off without my brother. I trotted along, scenting, until I found a familiar scent. It was Brackenkit's, but it was laced with fear. I decided to go and investigate. As I got nearer, the scent mingled with something I hadn't smelt before.  
"Brackenkit?" I yowled, but I broke off as I found him. He was lying on the floor, covered in blood. A fox was standing over his body. I trembled with fear, my legs itching to run. I suddenly scented the patrol, and ran towards them wailing.  
"Help! THERE'S A FOX!" I yowled to them. Cloudfur, the leader of the patrol, looked at me closely.  
"I thought I scented something. We'll deal with it. Run back to camp," he said, already charging towards the fox scent. I ran and ran back to camp, hurling myself into my nest. I was shaking. My brother had just been killed by a fox.

* * *

*Two moons later*

"From this day forward, you shall be known as Fawnpaw. Your mentor shall be Robinflight." Thornstar pressed his muzzle into my flank, and I licked his shoulder. The ceremony ended, and I leapt down to Featherpaw.  
"Wasn't that the _best_?" Featherpaw mewed excitedly.  
"Yeah! We're actually apprentices now!" I meowed back.  
"Finally!" Larkpaw joined in. We burst into excited chatter, until Dawncloud went to congratulate us.  
"Well done, my kits. I'm so proud of you!" she told us. Her eyes misted over. "Brackenkit should be here with you." We all looked at our paws. Brackenkit was her only tom-cat, and she loved him dearly.

We all slept in the apprentice's den that night. Briarpaw was chasing squirrels in his dreams, and kicked out at me. I complained, while everyone shushed me. It wasn't the best night. I woke up the next day, and went outside to the fresh-kill pile. I picked a mouse, and sat down to eat. Robinflight nudged me from behind, startling me.  
"When you've finished your mouse, we're going to practice fighting in the hollow with Sandtail and Larkpaw, so finish up." I nodded, and gulped it down. Following my mentor, I looked around for Sandtail and Larkpaw. _They must already be at the hollow,_ I thought contentedly. When we reached the hollow, it turned out I was right.

"Okay. We're going practice battle moves in the undergrowth today. This will be a useful skill for defending your own territory," Sandtail told us apprentices. We nodded our heads respectfully.  
"Follow me," Robinwing added, heading for the deeper parts of ThunderClan territory. We did as we were told excitedly. When we approached the border of our territory, Sandtail turned around and started talking.

"Today, we'll learn how to fight using the element of surprise," he said to us. "First, approach your opponent with your paws extended." Sandtail showed us how. I wobbled a little but Larkpaw kept her stance perfectly straight.  
"Well done, Larkpaw!" Sandtail congratulated her. Her eyes glowed with satisfaction. "Then, when your enemy lunges at you, step to the side and attack them from behind, like this," Sandtail continued, practicing on Robinflight. She squealed like a kit, her whiskers twitching humorously.  
"Now you two practice," Robinflight told us. I glanced at Larkpaw.  
"You can practice on me, if you like," she offered. I nodded graciously. She bunched up her muscles, and leapt. Only... she didn't land on the other side.

She disappeared. I was absolutely shocked. I went over to the place she 'landed', and saw there was a hole. A deep hole. I saw my sister lying down on the dusty floor, her neck bloody and limp. I gasped in shock, petrified. I couldn't deal with another death of my family. It took two whole moons too get over the death of Brackenkit. Sandtail saw me staring at the dirt, and went over to investigate.  
"StarClan, no!" he whispered in a husky voice. Tears welled in my eyes as Robinflight fetched the medicine cat.  
"S-Sandtail?" I asked tearfully. He turned to me.  
"What is it, Fawnpaw?" he asked quietly. I gulped nervously.  
"Is she... dead?" I inquired, grief-stricken. Sandtail looked to the sky. For a heartbeat, I thought he hadn't heard me, but he replied suddenly.  
"I can't be sure. Hopefully not." I bowed my head.

Most cats grieved at the burial of Larkpaw, especially Sandtail and I. We saw it happen, and I'm sure that we both blamed ourselves. Featherpaw was overcome with grief, and Dawncloud yowled to StarClan. Smoketail, however, didn't react, and even though he was her father he didn't keep vigil. He sloped off to bed lazily. That moment, I hated him more than ever.

I moped around camp like a limp mouse, shoulders hunched. Dawncloud had tried to cheer me up, but I was too sad to listen. I barely drank. I barely ate. I grew too thin, even though it was green-leaf. It had been four moons since Larkpaw died. I was closer to Featherpaw than ever nowadays: She was my only sibling left. I couldn't believe my bad luck. Two siblings gone in six moons: It seemed like StarClan hated me, wanted to make me suffer. Robinflight came in front of me.  
"Fawnpaw?" she asked gently. I looked up to her. "Your warrior ceremony is tomorrow. Aren't you excited?" she reminded me. I tried to look excited, but on the inside I wasn't. This was the day I had wanted ever since I was a kit, but I just felt an eternal emptiness.  
"Yeah..." I muttered distractedly. The red-brown warrior looked at me sympathetically. I turned away from her, ashamed.

That night, I couldn't sleep. I don't think I was the only one. Featherpaw was too excited to sleep. It wasn't excitement that kept me awake though. It was regret. I could have stopped their deaths: I could have said no to coming with Brackenkit. He probably wouldn't have gone without me. I could have insisted that Larkpaw practiced on me. That way, I would have landed on solid ground and Larkpaw would be alive. I sneaked out of the nest, quiet as a mouse. I decided to go for a walk. On the way, Smoketail came up to me.  
"You shouldn't be out at this time of night," he began. My heart skipped a beat. Did he actually care about me after all? But he went on. "You'll wake up all the other cats, mouse-brain," he continued harshly. My claws slid out warningly, but I don't think he saw. He didn't care about me at all. I slunk back to my nest, my heart as heavy as a stone. A slow, furious fire burned in my head. I hated him.

"By the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name: Fawnpaw, you shall now be known as Fawnfur. ThunderClan appreciates your integrity and enthusiasm." Thornstar granted me my name. I looked down on the crowd of cats, calling my new name. I didn't look radiant, like most new warriors would. I looked dull and grief-stricken. I leaped down to my only littermate.  
"Featherpaw- I mean, Featherstorm!" I greeted her. She looked at me admiringly, her eyes glowing.  
"We're warriors now!" she breathed, to excited to say more. I rubbed my muzzle against her flank. The peace was interrupted by a loud screech.  
"ShadowClan is attacking!" Berrytail yowled. Everyone started hissing, ready to defend. I looked among the cats of my Clan. Familiar pelts were lined up in rows. There was one cat who I noticed was missing.

ShadowClan warriors invaded the camp, swarming from the border. Featherstorm ran to the nursery to defend the kits and the queens: I ran to the front to fight off the warriors. A large tom came down on me, shredding my ear. I yowled in pain and fury. I clawed his under-belly hard, hearing his screech. Using this advantage, I raked my claws along his spine, and sunk my teeth into his tail. He retreated, yowling. I felt a warm glow of satisfaction. I headed to the nursery to help my sister.

Dawncloud's eyes were wide with fear. Three ShadowClan cats were trying to get into the nursery. I helped Featherstorm drive them off, but they were much stronger than us. I lashed out, aiming for a ginger she-cat's throat, but she knocked me out the way and lunged for the nursery walls. Featherstorm kicked out with her hind legs, sending the ginger she-cat backwards alarmingly. She landed with a sickening thud on her back where she yowled in pain.  
"I can't keep them off much longer!" Featherstorm gasped, breathless. A flash of gray fur shot forwards, knocking my sister off her paws. The mysterious cat had her throat within a heartbeat.  
"Featherstorm!" I yowled, heading over to her. Blood was bubbling at her throat. She looked at me, helplessly. I wailed like a kit, sorrow encasing me like a heavy blanket of moss. At last, after what seemed moons of struggling and yowling from Featherstorm, she hung limp. With me offguard and Featherstorm dead, the ShadowClan warriors fought their way into the nursery and murdered the queens and kits in cold blood, including Dawncloud.

* * *

The night after the battle, I felt like I should be dead already and that StarClan was hurting me over and over. _This must be what it's like to die nine times over, _I thought in my nest that night. I remembered something: That cat that murdered my sister. He was... familiar. He reminded me strongly of hatred, even before he killed my sister. Gray fur, hatred... I suddenly knew who had murdered Featherstorm, and let the ShadowClan cats kill the queens.

I sneaked out of the warriors' den, tiptoeing across the camp. I smelt the air: Earth, trees, the faint smell of fox and... Smoketail. I ran towards the familiar scent, my hackles raised. I reached my father, hissing.  
"It was YOU!" I exclaimed angrily. "Why did you kill Featherstorm?" He turned to me, sneering.  
"I have to practice killing someway," he leered. I looked up at him defiantly.  
"But why? Your own kin?" I asked, my voice trembling. He turned away from me.  
"Did you really think that I have a mate because I cared about Dawncloud?" he asked me, his voice dangerously soft. I felt like nodding, but I remained still and silent. "If you did, then you were mistaken. I can kill my own kin without anyone even knowing it was me. They wouldn't even know!" he laughed evilly. My claws slid out. It was time to end this. I didn't have any other relations. I hated Smoketail. I was going to end his life.

I dropped to the ground.  
"Why not kill one more cat?" I asked him. "One more of your own kin? I have no reason to live anymore." Smoketail grinned.  
"If you insist." He pounced at me, but I remembered Larkpaw, that day at training as I expertly shifted to the side and clawed his back. He yowled in pain. Angered, he leaped again and tried to slip underneath me, but I remembered Featherstorm, how quick she was killed as I hopped over him like a rabbit and battered his tail with my hind paws. When he tried to attack me on the full, I remembered Dawncloud and how she feared for all she loved as I converted that fear into energy, shredding his ears. With a final pounce, he put his full weight onto my back. That was when I passed out.

I woke up in a shadowy forest with trees swaying eerily in the breeze. I heard voices: Familiar voices, whispering to me. I strained to hear them.  
"Fawnfur..."  
"Avenge our deaths..."  
"Send him where he belongs!" It turned out I wasn't dead: My loved ones had given me the strength to continue. The world faded to black, and I woke up.

Smoketail was walking away, thinking me dead. I would show him! With as much energy as a greenleaf squirrel, I climbed up a nearby tree and followed Smoketail through the treetops. He paused momentarily. That was all I needed. I leaped from the trees onto his back clawing him mercilessly. He rolled onto his back, and I dug my teeth into his underbelly. I made my way up to his throat, and bit down hard. As blood leaked from his throat, memories flooded over me. Did I do the right thing? But then I remembered: He killed Featherstorm, and let Dawncloud die. I slashed his throat, just to make sure. I dug a hole, and buried him. I then made my way over to the river on the ThunderClan border and washed my paws. No-one would ever know.

I died a happy warrior. I have a place in StarClan, for I believed I did the right thing. I avenged the death of my loved ones. I now see them everyday. But, there is one thing bothering me. Every so often I hear a rustle in the trees of StarClan, and they seem to be whispering my name. Sometimes, I even catch a scent of a familiar cat, one that reminds me of hatred...


End file.
